American Elements specializes in producing high purity Zirconium Shot with the highest possible density and smallest possible average grain sizes for use in semiconductor, Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) processes including Thermal and Electron Beam (E-Beam) Evaporation, Low Temperature Organic Evaporation, Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), Metallic-Organic and Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD). Our standard Shot sizes range from 1-3mm . We can also provide Shot outside this range for ultra high purity thin film applications, such as fuel cells and solar energy layers. Materials are produced using crystallization , solid state and other ultra high purification processes such as sublimation. American Elements specializes in producing custom compositions for commercial and research applications and for new proprietary technologies. American Elements also casts any of the rare earth metals and most other advanced materials into rod, bar or plate form , as well as other machined shapes and through other processes such as nanoparticles (See also application discussion at Nanotechnology Information and at Quantum Dots ) and in the form of solutions and organometallics. See research below. We also produce Zirconium as rod , ingot , powder , pieces , disc , granules , wire , and in compound forms, such as oxide . Other shapes are available by request.

Zirconium is a Block D, Group 4, Period 5 element. The electronic configuration is [Kr] 4d² 5s². In its elemental form zirconium's CAS number is 7440-67-7. The zirconium atom has a radius of 159.pm and it's Van der Waals radius is 200.pm. Zirconium is primarily used in it's oxide or zirconia form. Zirconium dioxide has a high melting point (2,700° C) and a low thermal conductivity. Its polymorphism, however, restricts its widespread use in ceramic industry. During a heating process, zirconia will undergo a phase transformation process. The change in volume associated with this transformation makes the usage of pure zirconia in many applications impossible.